Ear muff cap



J. H. FUNK EAR MUFF CAP Feb. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 13, 1953 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

Juuus H. FUNK FIG-.5

ATTORNEY J. H. FUNK EAR RUFF CAP Feb. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 13 1953 INVENTOR. JULIUS H. FUNK ATTORN EY United States PatentO EAR MUFF CAP Julius H. Funk, St. Louis, Mo. 1

Application January 13, 1953, Serial No. 331,020

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-172) This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in headwear and, more particularly, to an ear muff cap.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a hat or cap having ear mufis or similar ear covering elements which can be worn in upwardly disposed position in warm weather and in downwardly disposed ear covering position in cold weather.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hat or cap of the type stated in which the ear covering elements are provided with resilient position-retaining elements adapted to hold the ear covering elements either in upward or downward position, as desired.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hat or cap of the type stated having ear covering elements provided with resilient members in which the resilient members alternatively serve to hold the ear covering elements snugly up against the crown of the hat or cap when the ear covering elements are in upward or inoperative position and similarly to hold the ear covering elements snugly down and against the ears when the ear covering elements are in downward or operative position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cap of the type stated having ear covering elements provided with resilient position-holding members in which the resilient position-holding members also serve to hold the hat or cap snugly on the head of the wearer.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cap constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention showing the ear covering elements in upward or inoperative position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cap shown in Figure 1 with the ear covering elements in downward or operative position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, of the resilient position-holding member forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of cap constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention showing the ear covering elements in upward or inoperative position;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cap shown in Figure 6 with the ear covering elements in downward or operative position;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another modified form of cap constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention and having ear muffs which are internal or completely concealed when in inoperative position;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cap shown in Figure 8 with the ear muffs in downward or operative position; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 10-10 of Figure 8.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate practical embodiments of the present invention, A designates a cap conice sisting of a conventional crown 1 formed of fabric or any other suitable cap-making material and interiorly provided with a lining 2, the crown and lining being secured together in a peripheral seam 3. Conventionally secured to and extending upwardly from the crown 1 is a so-called bill or visor 4. Conventionally stitched into the scam 3 and extending from points on opposite sides of the lateral terminations of the bill 4 around the entire rear margin of the cap is an ear covering flap 5 faced with a covering 6 which may be made of fur, pile fabric, felt or other soft warm material. As will be noted by reference to Figure 1, the flap 5 is normally turned upwardly in so-called inoperative position and the covering 6 is presented outwardly. However, when the flap is pulled down over the cars into so-called operative position, the covering 6 will be presented inwardly against the ears and neck of the wearer substantially as shown in Figure 2.

Stitched into the flap 5 on each side in the region of the ears of the wearer and concealed by the covering 6 is a U-shaped resilient member 7 which is enclosed within a stitched fabric tube 8 and the latter, in turn, stitched to the interior or concealed face of the flap 5. The resilient member 7 is formed of ribbon-like stock and may preferably be of a synthetic plastic material, such as Lucite, Plexiglas, or the like, or can even be fabricated of spring steel and extends in an arch upwardly from the seam 3 when the flap 5 is in inoperative position. Similarly, when the flap 5 is in operative position, as shown in Figure 2, the resilient member extends downwardly and more or less encircles the car. It should be noted in this connection that the ends of the resilient member 7, in this latter position, are spaced downwardly by a short distance from the seam 3. Furthermore, when being stitched to the flap 5, the resilient member 7 is spread apart slightly so that when released it will tend to cup the fabric of the flap 5 slightly and thus impose a certain amount of spring tension on the ear muff forming structure. This tension between its ends will, in effect, draw the head opening of the cap into a slightly smaller size and cause the cap to fit resiliently and comfortably upon the head of the wearer in either of the positions shown in Figure l or Figure 2.

Finally, the resilient member 7 causes the flap 5 to remain tightly and snugly in either of the positions shown in Figure l or Figure 2, so that when the ear muffs are up in so-called inoperative position the flap 5 will remain up and hug the crown 1 in a snug-fitting attractive manner. When the flap 5 is down in operative position, the resilient member 7 will cause it to hug the ears and neck of the wearer snugly and comfortably, giving maximum warmth and protectionas well as attractive appearance.

If desired, it is possible to provide a modified form of cap B, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, which is substantially similar to the previously described cap A and comprises a crown 11 formed of fabric or any other suitable cap making material and interiorly provided with a lining 12, the crown and lining being secured together in a peripheral seam 13 and being provided with a conventional bill or visor 14, all substantially similar to the corresponding elements of the cap A. Conventionally stitched into the seam 13 on opposite sides of the crown above the ears of the wearer are two car covering flaps 15, each being faced with a covering 16 made of fur, pile fabric, felt or other soft warm material and being interiorly provided with U-shaped resilient members 17, each enclosed within a stitched fabric tube 18. The resilient member 17 is formed of a ribbon-like section of Lucite or other flexible springy material and as it is stitched in place, has its ends stitched apart slightly so that after securement and release it will tend to spring together to original shape and pull the imposed section of fabric into a slightly loose pucker or cup-shaped conformation, substantially in the same manner as previously described in connection with the resilient member 7.

It has been found in connection with the cap B, that the resilient member 17 will hold the ear flaps 5 up against the crown or down around the cars at the option of the wearer and will also cause the cap to fit snugly and comfortably encirclingly around the head of the wearer.

It is also possible to provide a further modified form of cap C which also consists of a crown 21 having a lining 22 secured together in a peripheral seam 23 and provided with a bill or visor 24, substantially similar in all respects to the comparable elements of the previously described cap A. Stitched into the seam 3 is an ear covering flap 25 having an inner facing 26, the latter being preferably somewhat thinner than the pile fabric of the previously described facing or covering 6. Similarly stitched between the flap 25 and covering 26 is a resilient member 27 covered with a fabric tube 28, substantially identical in all respects with the previously described member 7. The flap 25, however, is so connected into the seam 23 and is of such size and shape that it will be folded upwardly into the interior of the cap against the lining 22 to form a completely concealed ear muff. Even in this adaptation of the invention, the resilient member will hold the ear covering flap 25 in upwardly disposed position and draw the peripheral margin of the cap snugly and comfortably around the head. Because the ear muff covering 26 is of soft wooly material or a light pile fabric, the resilient member 27 will not form an uncomfortable protrusion against the head of the wearer. In fact, the resilient member 27 will be cushioned by the covering 26 and lining 22 so that it will not be noticed when the cap is on the head.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the ear muff cap may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An article of headwear comprising a crown having a head-encircling margin, ear mufi means hingedly connected to the'crown adjacent 'said margin for upwardly disposed inoperative position flatwise against the crown to a downwardly disposed operative position, said ear muff means having ear-covering portions located on opposite sides of the crown for optionally covering the ears of the wearer when in operative position and the article of headwear is in use, and two separate unattached U- shaped springs respectively disposed within each of said ear-covering portions and being attached thereto for optionally holding the ear muff means in either of said positions, the legs of each said U-shaped springs being resiliently biased toward each other when in attached position within the ear-covering portion whereby to exert inwardly directed tension upon the ear-covering portion in the region of attachment, the material of said earcovering portions being thereby slightly cupped in the area lying between the legs of the spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 397,583 Cohn Feb. 12, 1889 723,946 Tobias Mar. 31, 1903 759,206 Wolfgang May 3, 1904 1,274,842 Basch Aug. 6, 1918 1,984,521 Deegan Dec. 18, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 72,618 Norway Oct. 6, 1947 

